Rot-Weiss Erfurt and VSG Altglienicke are among the most in-form teams in the Northeast Regional League. TAG24 does the check of all promotion candidates!
Erfurt – The weeks of truth and head-to-head duels begin! On Tuesday evening in the Regionalliga Nordost (7 p.m., live on Sport im Osten) the duel between the two currently strongest teams will take place: Rot-Weiss Erfurt welcomes VSG Altglienicke. TAG24 does the form check of the promotion candidates!
Regionalliga Northeast teams in top form: Rot-Weiss Erfurt and VSG Altglienicke
A familiar sight by now: the well-filled Steigerwald stadium from the front-runner Rot-Weiss Erfurt. © IMAGO / Bild13
Red White Erfurt (1st place): It would be a novelty in the Regionalliga Nordost if Oberliga promoted Erfurt were also first at the end of the season. The driving force behind the success of the Thuringians is the team around coach Fabian Gerber (43), who have worked together for two years, and key players such as top scorer Artur Mergel (25) and captain Andrey Startsev (28).
In addition, RWE is riding a never-ending wave of euphoria, which the fans are rewarding with an average attendance that is higher than in the 2017/18 relegation season from the 3rd division. The lightness after the bad bankruptcy years is also a factor.
And then there are key moments that manifest belief in one’s own strength, such as the 4:3 last-minute win in Lichtenberg. The 2:2 after 0:2 in the Steigerwald Stadium in early December against Cottbus was also important.
Six points between 1st and 10th place: Regionalliga Nordost, you’re awesome!
VSG Altglienicke (6th place): The south-eastern Berliners started the new year with a disappointment when they returned to the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark: A 1-1 draw against bottom side Halberstadt seemed to bury all dreams of promotion. But the answer came a few days later: Karsten Heine’s team (67) stole three points in the Cottbus Friendship Stadium, which has been an impregnable fortress so far this season.
The man of the hour at VSG is Kolja Oudenne (21), who used to be in the Bayern youth and the Swedish junior national team. The whirlwind remained goalless for a long 50 regional league games before the knot burst twice against Cottbus. He also scored the golden goal in the most recent Friday game against Luckenwalde, a favorite fright.
In addition to the outstanding offensive department around Tolcay Cigerci (28), thanks to a new five-man chain, the defensive protection of the team, which was previously vulnerable to counterattacks, now seems to be right. There are also top-class newcomers who have not played a role before.
In addition, Altglienicke and Erfurt, including Tuesday’s game, still have two catching up to do.
In good shape: Chemnitzer FC, Carl Zeiss Jena and Lok Leipzig
At eye level: Carl Zeiss Jena with coach René Klingbeil (41, left) and CFC with coach Christian Tiffert (41) are separated by just two points. © PICTURE POINT / S. Sonntag
Chemnitzer FC (2nd place): The series of twelve games without defeat was stopped abruptly last Wednesday in the catch-up game at Viktoria Berlin (0: 3). On Sunday, a sovereign 3-0 victory over relegation candidate Germania Halberstadt followed.
Here and there, the relatively small squad falls on Chemnitz’ feet, which has recently become even thinner than it already was due to frequent suspensions and many English weeks.
FC Carl Zeiss Jena (Platz 4): The team of new head coach René Klingbeil (41) stuttered into the new year with a 1-0 defeat at Hertha Bubis and the last-minute equalizer at Viktoria Berlin.
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The last three victories against TeBe Berlin (3-0), Greifswalder FC (1-0) and against BFC Dynamo (2-0) were all the more convincing. While the team was already the best defensively in the league in the preliminary round, it was also able to improve offensively.
Center forward Vasilios Dedidis (23) recently scored five points, outside dribbler Maximilian Krauss (26) is back to normal. Even more goals would have been possible against the BFC, which prevented bizarre referee decisions.
Locomotive Leipzig (5th place): Loksche’s record in 2023 is ten points from five games. That’s good, but not great. At the end of January, for example, there was only a 2-2 draw against fellow competitor CFC, a few days later the 1-2 draw against Viktoria Berlin was apparently lacking.
In addition, there is a lack of sovereignty: Tuesday a week ago, when the score was 4-1, opponents Babelsberg were allowed to get another two goals.
In moderate form: Energie Cottbus, BFC Dynamo and Chemie Leipzig
Energie Cottbus on loan Jan Shcherbakovski (21, m.) is struggling in the second half of the season under difficult conditions, like here on Sunday in Meuselwitz (1:1). © PICTURE POINT / S. Sonntag
Energy Cottbus (3rd place): The Lausitzers, who are considered favorites by many, have made quite a crash landing in the new year – only four points from four games are on the account before Wednesday’s game against Chemie Leipzig (7 p.m., live on Sport im Osten). Not enough for the Cottbus promotion dreams.
Dynamo loan player Jan Shcherbakovski (21) in particular often indicates his top class, but overall Energie presented itself as too harmless offensively and too careless defensively. There is also a certain amount of complacency.
The second winter signing, Timmy Thiele (31), dubbed the best striker in the league by coach Wollitz, has so far visibly lacked commitment and fitness.
BFC Dynamo (Platz 7): The protégés of Heiner Backhaus (41) were shown the limits on Sunday in Jena. In last week’s home game against CFC, it was not enough to score a goal.
After three wins against smaller players at the start of the second half of the season, the BFC is back on the ground.
Chemistry Leipzig (8th place): The same applies to Chemie Leipzig, who have only scored eight points in eight games since matchday 13.
Admittedly, chemistry might have overperformed a little until November. And The chemists don’t want to move up anyway.
Not in shape: the Berliner AK and the SV Babelsberg
Meanwhile, Berliner AK (9th place) and Babelsberg 03 (10th place), who each only got four points in the new year, have said goodbye to the promotion battle.
Both teams have been stuck in a negative spiral since November.
